Everything You Need to Know About the LNAT
Posted by Catherine Robinson on
2-min read
What is the LNAT?
The Law National Admissions Test (LNAT) is a 2 hour 15 minute exam that prospective law students must take in order to apply for particular universities.
How to Get a First in LawWhich unis require the LNAT?
- Durham University (M101, M102)
- LSE London School of Economics and Political Science (M100)
- University of Oxford (M100, M190, M191, M192, M193, M194)
- University of Bristol (M101, M102)
- University College London (M100, M101, M102, M141, M142, M144, M145, M146)
- University of Glasgow (M114, M1R7, M1R1, M121, M1R2, M122, M1R3, M191, 1RR, M1R1, M123, MN11, MN12, MV13, ML11, MQ13, MQ15, ML17, MV11, MV15, ML12, MR17)
- King’s College London (LM21, M100, M121, M122, M190)
- The University of Nottingham (M100, M101, M1R1, M1R2)
Can I re-sit the LNAT?
You cannot resit the LNAT within one application cycle. Hence, you must prepare well and perform your very best on the day.
How is the LNAT graded?
For the multiple choice questions, you will be given a score out of 42. There is no pass or fail mark, but you will be told the average score for the year you sat the exam. I sat the LNAT in 2016/2017 when the average result was 17.9. I achieved 31. If you would like LNAT tutoring, please contact me. My email address is catherinerobinsontuition@gmail.com.
The essay you write for Section B will be directly sent to the universities you apply for and they will mark it.
What type of questions will there be?
There will be two sections: Section A and Section B.
Section A: Here, there will be 12 passages of test with 42 questions. You will have 95 minutes. The questions will test your ability to understand and process information, your critical thinking skills, your ability to understand the strength of various arguments, and your ability to understand the overall themes within each passage.
Section B: There will be three essay questions to choose from, but you only have to complete one. You will have 40 minutes. The most important skills that you must display are: (1) an ability to write clearly, (2) an ability to organise your arguments, and (3) an ability to write persuasively.
Where do I sit the LNAT?
Unfortunately, the exam must be sat at a test centre on a grainy old computer. That is part of the test. Not really, but the computer screens in the test centres are usually quite difficult to read from, which is something you must be prepared for. The test centres are also the same places where people do their driving theory tests, so you will likely be surrounded by hazard perception videos. This can be a little off-putting.
How Can I Prepare for the LNAT?
1) Start early. The skills you need to display during the LNAT cannot be learnt overnight. You must gradually work through practice questions until you have a feel for the kinds of answers the examiner is looking for. You also need to build up your speed as the LNAT is very time pressured.
2) Practice makes perfect. Initially, you may feel very overwhelmed by the prospect of completing the LNAT and not be quite sure what the examiner is trying to get out of you. This often leads to students second guessing the examiner's intentions and trying to select the answer they think the examiner wants rather than the answer they think is correct. This is natural, but the only way to build up your skills is through a lot of practice.
Please feel free to leave a comment if there's anything you'd like clarifying!
If you found this article useful, you may also like:
How to Read Cases | Law Study Skills
How to Study Law | Free Law Revision Timetable
Damages: The Test of Remoteness and Reasonable Foreseeability
Misrepresentation Problem Question Structure
Free Movement of Goods Problem Question Structure
Discretionary Trust or Power of Appointment?
A Level Business Tutor | A* Exam Technique Help – Catherine Robinson Tuition